Strong rushing start keeps heat off front office

Coach Mike Munchak said Sunday he doesn’t believe his team’s strong preseason rushing performances give the team any more leverage when it comes to negotiating a new deal with Chris Johnson. That may be true in terms of money, but what it does provide the Titans is negotiating time.

Had the Titans sputtered out of the gates the last two weeks and averaged about two yards per rush, can you imagine what kind of pressure – public and private – general manager Mike Reinfeldt would be under to get Johnson into camp immediately?

Instead, just the opposite has happened.

The Titans have rushed for an average of 147 yards through their first two preseason games, the fifth-best total in the league. Yes, it’s preseason. But it’s worth pointing out that the rushing numbers the Titans have put up in the first halves of the two games – presumably against opponents’ better defenders – have been impressive. Titans backs carried 15 times for 57 yards (3.7-yard average) and one touchdown in the first half against Minnesota, then piled up 113 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries (6.3-yard average) in the first half against St. Louis.

And let’s remember that not only were the Titans without Johnson against the Rams, but without second-stringer Javon Ringer (hip) as well.

Is Johnson sitting at home worrying about those numbers? I seriously doubt it. The man is a Pro Bowl back who no doubt would have put up even bigger totals with the holes the Titans opened.

But what the big rushing yardage means so far is that the Titans don’t have to negotiate from a position of desperation. Johnson, in other words, doesn’t have the Titans completely over a barrel at this stage.

Now, what happens if the Titans rush 20 times for 35 yards against the Bears without Johnson this Saturday? Well, expect the temperature in Reinfeldt’s office to get a few degrees warmer in a hurry.